St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-09-19
AT THE GATE.

Beatrix Lane, with her "nut-brown
locks" and fresh, young face, on which
the sun and wind had left healthy
color, made a very pretty picture, stand
ing at the gate, her brown eyes spark
ling with life, her red lips smiling, her
dimpled hands full of gOlden-hearted
daisies.
Her companiOn-the fair city cousin
who was spending the summer at the
farm-was strikingly unlike the coun-
try-bred girl, to whose eyes she looked
so very fair.
From the crown of her golden-crowned
head to the toe of her dainty boot lone
Lawrence was perfect, in a delicate,
blonde way. Her hair was the pureSt
gold, her eyes the most heavenly blue,
her cheeks the daintleSt rOSe-leaf tint,
her lips the pureSt crimson, her form
willowy as reed, her every movement
grace itself.
You like your new neighbor, Bea-
triX?" she asked.
''He is so courteous, so kind and
friendly" BeatriX answered.; chow
could we do otherwise? And he is so
handsome! never saw so noble face,
lone"
Handsome? Yes, in a proud,
naughty way!' lone said evenly; .but
do not lose your heart there, my little
cousin, unless you would wear the will
low; that of Leon Vincent has not been
his own for nearly three years.
A deep scarlet mounted to the brow
of BeatriX.
''Thank you for the warning, however
unnecessary" she said; ''but did not
know, when | introduced you to him
last night, that Leon Vincent was not
stranger to YOU"
No" she said quietly; ''you did not
know, did not dream, that l rejected
him three years ago."
Rejected him." in incredulous sur
prise, but with sudden pallOr on the
pretty, girlish cheek.
Eyes; you see he was only barrister
then, without any too many briefs, no
money to speak of, and nobody could
forsee that his uncle and cousin would
both die within three years and leave
him master of so much: so, because l
was not willing to become the wife of
poor man, | rejected him; now things
are very different"
GLOW you must have loved himr'
BeatriX exclaimed, with fine irony, ito
give him up because he was poor! Was
not the love of such a man as Leon
Vincent worth more to you than gold?"
''You foolish child" lone said, lightly,
"AS if the love of any man were of as
much account as the position he can
offer one. You will see these things
more clearly as you grow older"
So he had been amusing himself,
Beatrix thought, in the six months dur
ing which he had been her neighbOr
and so constant a visitor at the farm.
And his low wordS-So tender and soft,
that had set her foolish heart beating
they were his way of passing, now and
then, an idle hour. And all the time
he was thinking of the blue eyes and
golden hair of her cousin.
BeatriX from that time ON kept en-
tirely aloof when the young man came
to the farm. leaving him wholly to lone,
who seemed to claim him as her own,
and even spoke of him to her cousin by
his first name in calm tone of propri-
etOrShip.
Some weeks after their first converse
ton the sweet voice of lone lifted in
song reached BeatriX as she stood
among her roses at the gate, and her
young heart was very heavy with I'M
satisfied yearning and wounded love;
for she had received her Cousins warm
ing too late-with the whole fervOr of
her heart she had learned to love Leon
Vincent.
A quick step on the roadway; a low,
merry whistle, and the object of her
thoughts stood before her, looking, with
suddenly silenced lips, and soft light
in his bonny blue eyes, on the sweet
face of the girl.
She drew aside as he pushed the gate
open, and, entering, paused at her
side.
"Good evening"" she said, "you will
find lone in the parlor," she continued,
as he did not pass on; .she has new
song to sing you tonight; l think she
expects you"
1T will pain me very much to disap-
point Miss Lawrence" the young man
said, his tones slightly sarcastic, ''but I
have come tonight to have an interview
with you, nay" as she drew from him
in surprise, not unmiXed with indigna-
ton; may, my darling, you shall hear
what l have come to say; you have
avoided me long enough, and left me so
completely to the tender mercieS of
your cousin that she must be heartily
tired of me; at least, am tired of such
treatment, and want to know why you
are so anxious to fly at my approach
''How strangely you talk-for a low
erw Beatrix exclaimed. trembling
little, but trying to be calm. Il am go
ing in. Why do you linger here when
lone is waiting for you?'
Because" and he took her hands in
a clasp from which she could not free
thenl-''because want to tell you
something tell you how dear you
are to me; how it is your brown
eyes that lure me here, not the blue
ones of your cousin; to tell you that l
want such from you as you can give, or
l come no more to the farm. Oh, my
love, say you do care for me!'
81 do" come low, soft whisper. and
BeatriX found herself clasped instantly
in the young mans arms and held close
ly to hisbosom.